Moscow (VNA) – The Vietnamese andRussian ministries of defence held their fourth defence strategy dialogue inMoscow on December 3, affirming that defence cooperation remains a pillar inthe two countries’ relations.

The event was chaired by Vietnamese DeputyMinister Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh and his Russian counterpart AlexanderVasilyevich Fomin.

It took place amid the continuously enhancedtraditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between the twocountries. Notably, it followed an official visit by General Secretary of theCommunist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong in September and a trip by RussianPrime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in November this year. 

The year also marks five years since the two governmentssigned an inter-governmental agreement on defence cooperation and 20 yearssince they inked the deal on military technique cooperation.

At the dialogue, the two sides spoke highly oftheir major achievements in defence cooperation this year. They shared the viewthat defence ties continue to be a prioritised pillar of development.

Agreeing to further expand defence connections,they specified the cooperation plan for 2019, including delegation exchanges,sharing opinions on strategic issues, personnel training, military technique, sharingexperience in joining United Nations peacekeeping operations, and militarymedicine.

The officers also drafted a list of jointactivities to be held in the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Year 2019 and 2020.

Deputy Minister Fomin thanked Vietnam for itssupport for and participation in the Moscow Conference on InternationalSecurity, the International Army Games, the St. Petersburg military parade, aswell as other multilateral activities hosted by the Russian Ministry ofDefence.

He affirmed that his ministry will effectivelycontribute to bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam-RussiaTropical Centre. It also pledges to endorse initiatives and further engage inactivities proposed and organised by Vietnam in 2020, when the Southeast Asiannation will hold the ASEAN Chair and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plusmechanism will mark its 10th anniversary.

For his part, Deputy Minister Vinh said Vietnamwill continue taking part in multilateral activities that are held by theRussian Defence Ministry and match the country’s conditions. It is also readyto create conditions for Russian naval ships to visit Vietnamese seaports.

The two sides said their countries’ defencecooperation is one of the important factors helping with regional security,peace, cooperation, and development. They also echoed the view that alldisputes should be resolved by peaceful means and on the basis of internationallaw.

During their working visit from December 1-4,the Vietnamese delegation also paid a courtesy call to Russian Defence MinisterSergei Shoigu and visited the Kirov Military Medical Academy. –VNA